Episodes

  • Friday, May 15th, 2026 - Trump's Human Printer, Kash Patel's Pearl Harbor Snorkel, FDA Commissioner Quits Over Flavored Vapes

    Friday, May 15th, 2026 - Trump's Human Printer, Kash Patel's Pearl Harbor Snorkel, FDA Commissioner Quits Over Flavored Vapes
    May 15 2026
    Today's Headlines: Trump's personal aide Natalie Harp — dubbed the "Human Printer" by the Wall Street Journal — follows the president around with a printer for his Truth Social posts and is responsible for his midnight rage posting, including the Obama monkeys video, because no one else on his comms team has any visibility into what goes out at 2am. Trump returned from China having spent most of his time complimenting Xi Jinping's height, claiming Xi promised to stop arming Iran while continuing to buy their oil, getting nowhere on tariffs, and receiving a firm warning to back off Taiwan — which makes 70% of the world's semiconductors — with the one concrete outcome being China agreeing to buy 200 Boeing jets, which sent Boeing's stock down 4% because the market wanted 500. Kash Patel, meanwhile, used an FBI work trip to Hawaii to do a "VIP snorkel" around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor where snorkeling is explicitly prohibited, and is separately being reported to have padded the FBI's arrest statistics by adding people to the Most Wanted List right before they're captured. The FDA commissioner resigned after the administration approved blueberry, mango, and menthol flavored vaping pods over his objections, and RFK Jr.'s chief spokesperson quit the next day for the same reason — flavored vapes being, apparently, everyone's line in the sand. On a darker public health note, ProPublica found that the growing MAHA-driven trend of parents rejecting Vitamin K shots for newborns — not a vaccine, just a blood-clotting intervention — has led to a measurable increase in infant deaths from preventable brain bleeds. Two House members have been missing for weeks and are both running for reelection, PCOS has been renamed PMOS because the old name caused decades of misdiagnosis, Stephen Miller's wife is in talks with Paramount for a podcast deal, and King Charles announced the UK will finally prioritize banning conversion therapy, which several prime ministers have promised and never delivered. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: After Xi's Warning on Taiwan, He and Trump Strike Positive Tone: Live Updates on Trump's China Visit WSJ: The Late-Night Truth Social Storms That Offer a Window Into the President’s Mind PBS: FBI Director Kash Patel took 'VIP snorkel' at a Pearl Harbor memorial, emails show MS Now: FBI insiders: Kash Patel is ‘padding the stats’ to boost his record of arrests Forbes: 2 House Members Have Been Absent For Weeks, Missing Dozens Of Votes NYT: Marty Makary, Trump’s F.D.A. Commissioner, Resigns After Weeks of Pressure The Hill: RFK Jr.’s chief HHS spokesperson resigns over flavored vapes ProPublica: Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth AP News: The condition PCOS is now called PMOS. What to know about the name change and what it means for care Axios: Scoop: Paramount in talks with Katie Miller for podcast deal as it eyes expansion Them: U.K. Government Pledges for Fifth Time in Eight Years to Ban Conversion Therapy Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
  • Thursday, May 14th, 2026 - Trump In China, FBI Payback Squad, The South Moves Quick To Gerrymander, Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned

    Thursday, May 14th, 2026 - Trump In China, FBI Payback Squad, The South Moves Quick To Gerrymander, Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned
    May 14 2026
    Today's Headlines: Trump touched down in Beijing for his Xi Jinping summit — greeted by a military band and hundreds of children waving flags — while Elon Musk technically skipped his own OpenAI trial to attend as emotional support, despite the judge explicitly not excusing him. On the Iran war, US intelligence assessed that Iran still has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites and about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile, which is not what "totally obliterated" means, and for the seventh time Senate Democrats tried to advance a war powers resolution to force a congressional vote on Iran and for the seventh time it failed. On the domestic front, the DOJ is discussing settling Trump's personal tax return lawsuit for up to $10 billion in taxpayer money — potentially including dropping all audits of Trump, his family, and his businesses — while the FBI has been running an internal "payback squad" of agents handling cases against Trump's political enemies out of off-site locations for over a year. Trump got his preferred Fed chair with Kevin Warsh confirmed 54-45, the narrowest margin in modern history, and the White House is planning 250 pardons to celebrate America's 250th birthday because of course it is. On the redistricting front, Louisiana senators stayed up all night to advance a map eliminating one of the state's two majority-Black districts, and South Carolina's governor called a special session specifically to pass a new map eliminating Jim Clyburn's seat with a simple majority instead of the usual two-thirds vote. Alligator Alcatraz is closing after costing Florida hundreds of millions in under a year, and Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions were unanimously overturned by South Carolina's Supreme Court after it emerged the court clerk told jurors not to be "fooled" by him — before writing a book about the trial. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: How China Sent a Message to Trump on His Arrival NBC News:A judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway NYT: U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities The Guardian: Senate fails to curb Trump’s war on Iran even as Republican opposition grows CNN: Justice Department considers settling Trump’s $10 billion IRS leak lawsuit WSJ: White House Explores 250 Pardons to Mark America’s 250th Birthday Not Us: FBI Created ‘Payback Squad’ to Handle Political Cases, Sources Say WSJ: Kevin Warsh Is Confirmed as Fed Chair in 54–45 Senate Vote NYT: Florida Plans to Close ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Vendors Are Reportedly Told Axios NoLa: Louisiana advances congressional map with reduced Black representation The Hill: McMaster set to call South Carolina special session on redistricting: Reports NYT: Alex Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 - Trump's Doesn’t Think About Your Finances, Pentagon Rebrands Iran War, Epstein Survivor Testimony

    Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 - Trump's Doesn’t Think About Your Finances, Pentagon Rebrands Iran War, Epstein Survivor Testimony
    May 13 2026
    Today's Headlines: Trump had a full episode between 1am and sunrise Tuesday, posting dozens of times about the 2020 election, the reflecting pool, and Barack Obama — before waking up and telling reporters he doesn't think about Americans' financial situations "at all." He also disowned his favorite pool guy after the reflecting pool paint job came out bubbly, uneven, and full of holes, despite having previously bragged about this being the greatest pool contractor in history — he then flew to China to meet Xi Jinping, bringing 16 CEOs including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, to meet with the country actively helping Iran win his war. On the war front, the Pentagon is considering renaming the conflict "Operation Sledgehammer" — not just rebranding, but a legal strategy to restart the 60-day congressional authorization clock — while Hegseth told Congress the $29 billion war could resume without their approval, which even some Republicans found uncomfortable but not uncomfortable enough to act on. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, Kash Patel denied the drinking allegations before Congress and offered to take an alcohol disorder test only if Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen takes it with him, which is a choice. In Epstein files news, Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach where Epstein survivors testified, including one woman appearing publicly for the first time only because her name was published unredacted in the files, who revealed Epstein was assaulting her while in prison and that she couldn't report it because her visa was tied to him — one of at least 55 people whose immigration status was connected to his estate. In a completely under-covered story, the former mayor of Arcadia, California pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent for China after running a fake local news site publishing pro-China propaganda on government directives. And finally, Stephen Colbert's late night show ends next Thursday, closing out with Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and both Jimmys — which was a good TV moment in an otherwise chaotic week. Resources/Articles mentioned: CNN: In wild late-night posting spree, Trump attacks Obama with imaginary quote and false conspiracy theories NBC News: Trump says he’s not thinking about Americans’ finances ‘even a little bit’ in Iran talks NYT: Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven and Behind Schedule, Officials Say NYT: Trump to Be Joined by Elon Musk and Other CEOs at Xi Summit in China NBC News: Pentagon considering renaming Iran war ‘Sledgehammer’ if ceasefire collapses AP News: Hegseth gets bipartisan grilling on rising costs of the Iran war and Trump's end game The Hill: Patel agrees to take alcohol test after heated exchange with Van Hollen The Guardian: Epstein survivors give tearful testimony in House field hearing in Palm Beach ABC News: California mayor charged with acting as illegal agent for China NYT: Stephen Colbert Hosts 4 of His ‘Best Television Friends’ Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 - Iran Ceasefire Dead, Reflecting Pool Paint Job Cost $13M, TX Sues Netflix

    Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 - Iran Ceasefire Dead, Reflecting Pool Paint Job Cost $13M, TX Sues Netflix
    May 12 2026
    Today's Headlines: The Iran ceasefire is on "massive life support" per Trump, while Iran's foreign minister insists their latest proposal was reasonable — and the administration responded by sanctioning 12 companies helping ship Iranian oil to China, days before Trump flies to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, where that will definitely not be awkward. This is further complicated by reports that China was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran last month, meaning both China and Russia are now actively supporting Iran, great. On the Hantavirus front, 18 Americans from the cruise are back in the US, at least 2 appear infected, and the other 16 are being monitored at a federally funded biocontainment facility in Nebraska — the WHO still says global risk is low and this is not another COVID. In other news, Trump's plan to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool "American flag blue" was quoted at $1.8 million — it's actually $13.1 million, no other contractors were allowed to bid, and the justification was that delays would cause "serious injury to the government." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy filmed a road trip reality show visiting historic landmarks, which a watchdog group alleges was sponsored by Toyota, Boeing, and United Airlines — companies he's supposed to regulate — through a conveniently named nonprofit funded by auto companies. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Max Miller was accused in court filings of throwing boiling water on his ex-wife while their 2-year-old was present — also not his first abuse accusation, having previously been accused of assault by then-White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham in 2020. Texas sued Netflix for spying on children, collecting user data without consent, selling viewing habits to data brokers, and designing the platform to be addictive — Netflix says the lawsuit lacks merit. The guy who stormed the White House Correspondents Dinner pleaded not guilty, with his attorneys arguing that both acting AG Todd Blanche and Jeanine Pirro should recuse themselves since they were both at the dinner. And finally, NBC is launching a Wordle game show hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Jimmy Fallon. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Passengers from virus-stricken cruise ship fly to home countries for monitoring CNN: Live updates: Trump says ceasefire with Iran on ‘massive life support’ after he rejects Tehran’s proposal NYT: Reflecting Pool Repairs to Cost $13.1 Million. Trump Had Promised $1.8 Million Reuters: Netflix sued by Texas for allegedly spying on children, addicting users The Hill: Watchdog group asks Transportation IG to probe Duffy’s ‘road trip’ with family Yahoo: MAGA Congressman Accused of Beating and Burning His Ex-Wife AP News: Man charged in White House correspondents' dinner attack pleads not guilty NYT: Wordle to Become Prime-Time TV Show, With Savannah Guthrie as Host Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Monday, May 11th, 2026 - Iran Peace Deal Rejected, Russia Drone Offer, RFK Jr. comes for your Lexapro, VA Redistricting Overturned, Trump Phone Revolt

    Monday, May 11th, 2026 - Iran Peace Deal Rejected, Russia Drone Offer, RFK Jr. comes for your Lexapro, VA Redistricting Overturned, Trump Phone Revolt
    May 11 2026
    Today's Headlines: Trump kicked off the week rejecting Iran's latest peace proposal with "I don't like it — totally unacceptable," while a confidential Economist document reveals Russia offered Iran 5,000 advanced drones and training for 10,000 soldiers to use them against American troops. Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei hasn't been seen publicly since being severely injured in the airstrike that killed most of his family, complicating Iran's ability to negotiate. Someone also unveiled a 22-foot golden Trump statue at a Florida golf course, which his evangelical adviser insists is definitely not idol worship. In the redistricting wars, Virginia's Supreme Court struck down the congressional map that Virginia voters just voted for — the same court that previously cleared it — handing Republicans a significant midterm advantage before the south has even finished gerrymandering. Trump announced an "election integrity army" in every state this November, the FBI opened a new investigation into Wisconsin's 2020 election results, and the DOJ subpoenaed Fulton County for the names of every 2020 election worker, which Fulton County is fighting in court. To distract from all of this, the Pentagon started releasing UFO files, which is a thing that is happening. In brain worm updates, RFK Jr. is reportedly exploring banning certain SSRIs including Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro — his department denied it, though he just announced initiatives to reduce SSRI prescriptions. The Trump administration is also planning to cut Social Security disability benefits for people living with family members by up to a third, potentially affecting 400,000 people — call your congresspeople. Trump Media posted a $405 million loss on just $900,000 in revenue, 600,000 MAGA fans who paid a nonrefundable deposit for the Trump Phone in 2025 still don't have their devices and are finally revolting, and the Hantavirus cruise passengers are being carefully evacuated home from the Canary Islands with isolation protocols in place. And finally, Rudy Giuliani — who was read his last rites last week — is attempting to get his hospital bills covered by a federal fund for 9/11 first responders, which is one way to handle bankruptcy. Resources/Articles mentioned: Newsweek: Pastor defends Golden Trump statue from biblical backlash WSJ: Trump Blasts Iran's Response on Reopening Hormuz, Handling Uranium The Economist: Secret document reveals Russia’s plans to aid Iran NYT: Virginia Court Strikes Down Redistricted Voting Map in a Huge Blow to Democrats Advance Local: Trump: GOP will have ‘election integrity army’ in every state during 2026 midterms Wausau Pilot & Review: FBI is investigating Wisconsin's 2020 election, sources confirm - PBS: Justice Department seeks the names of 2020 election workers in Georgia's Fulton County NBC News: Pentagon releases declassified UFO files including videos and photos held by the government for decades Politico: Wiles cracks down on leaks CNBC: U.S. payrolls jump more than expected, but the report had several red flags for the economy The Daily Beast: MAGA Fans Revolt Over Trump Phone Disaster Bloomberg: Trump Media Posts $405 Million Loss Driven by Crypto Holdings CNN: Live updates: Hantavirus outbreak, passengers disembark cruise ship in Tenerife Reuters: Exclusive: Kennedy's health officials explored US ban of some widely used antidepressants ProPublica: The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families The Daily Beast: Rudy Giuliani Wants 9/11 Health Fund to Cover His Medical Bills Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins
  • Friday, May 8th, 2026 - Trump's Iran "Love Tap," Gas Prices Hit $4.50, The South Returns To Jim Crow, Ransomware Crashes Canvas

    Friday, May 8th, 2026 - Trump's Iran "Love Tap," Gas Prices Hit $4.50, The South Returns To Jim Crow, Ransomware Crashes Canvas
    May 8 2026
    Today's Headlines: The Iran war is very much back on — Trump threatened Iran with "one big glow," called the exchange of fire "just a love tap," and bragged about sinking small boats, while US intelligence confirmed Iran still has about 70% of its missiles intact despite Trump claiming it's down to 18-19%. Gas prices have hit $4.50 a gallon — up over 50% since the war started — with CEOs warning that consumer spending is collapsing and everyone is borrowing to get by. Shell, meanwhile, posted $7 billion in Q1 profits, more than double the previous quarter, which seems fine. As if the war weren't enough to worry about, on the redistricting beat, Tennessee signed a new map eliminating the state's one Democratic seat by splitting Memphis into four suburban districts, Alabama passed their gerrymandering legislation while tornado sirens blared and the building flooded, and Mississippi is planning their own special session in a Jim Crow-era capitol that's been a museum for years. On top of that, Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on Cuba's state-owned industries and military conglomerate, while the State Department quietly beefs up disaster preparedness in South Florida in anticipation of further Cuba hostilities. Somehow Kash Patel is in the news again, he reportedly ordered polygraphs for over two dozen staff to find out who talked to The Atlantic about his drinking, while launching a criminal leak investigation against the reporter he's also suing for $250 million. Elsewhere, Trump's 10% tantrum tariff was ruled illegal by the Court of International Trade, Elon Musk was formally summoned by the French government to cooperate in their X investigation after skipping a voluntary interview — with Trump's DOJ calling it a "criminally charged criminal proceeding" — and Kalshi raised a billion dollars bringing its valuation to $22 billion, which means someone should probably check if their headquarters exists. And finally, a ransomware attack on Canvas knocked out coursework for students at over 3,000 schools, which is either a crisis or the greatest thing ever depending on your GPA. Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Iran and U.S. exchange fire in Strait of Hormuz Bloomberg: Consumers Are ‘Running Out of Money’ and Cutting Back, CEOs Warn Bloomberg: Consumers Are ‘Running Out of Money’ and Cutting Back, CEOs Warn NYT: Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit After Oil Prices Surged Amid U.S.-Iran War WaPo: U.S. intelligence says Iran can outlast Trump’s Hormuz blockade for months Axios: Rubio announces new Cuba sanctions Mother Jones: After SCOTUS Destroyed the Voting Rights Act, Southern States Rush to Pass Jim Crow Voting Maps WVLT: TN governor signs new congressional map into law, dividing Memphis and marking end of special session The New Republic: Alabama Republicans Vote to Pass New Map as Tornado Sirens Blare The Guardian: Mississippi house to hold redistricting session at Jim Crow era capitol MS Now: Kash Patel ordered polygraphs of more than two dozen members of his team, sources say NYT: Trade Court Rules Trump’s 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal WSJ: Elon Musk Summoned to France to Face Criminal Charges NYT: Kalshi, The Prediction Market, Is Now Valued At $22B WSJ: Harvard, Berkeley and Thousands of Schools Suffer Cyber Outage Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    9 mins
  • Thursday, May 7th, 2026 - Epstein's Suicide Note, Kash Patel's Personalized Bourbon, Trump’s $1B Ballroom

    Thursday, May 7th, 2026 - Epstein's Suicide Note, Kash Patel's Personalized Bourbon, Trump’s $1B Ballroom
    May 7 2026
    Today's Headlines: A federal judge unsealed what the DOJ claims is Jeffrey Epstein's suicide note yesterday — found tucked inside a graphic novel by his former cellmate. On related Epstein news, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified behind closed doors at the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with Epstein, his former next-door neighbor whom he claimed to find "disgusting," and yet somehow visited Epstein's island for lunch with his family and several nannies after Epstein's 2008 conviction — his explanation being that he only meant he wouldn't have a "1 on 1" relationship with Epstein, which is genuinely one of the worst answers ever offered to a congressional committee. Elsewhere in this administration, The Atlantic has more reporting on FBI Director Kash Patel, revealing he flies on government planes stocked with personalized Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with his name and the FBI shield, which he hands out as gifts — one of which ended up on an online auction site. Speaking of taxpayer resources being used creatively, Republicans in Congress are reportedly proposing to give Trump a billion taxpayer dollars for his White House ballroom-slash-bunker, and debris from Trump's East Wing demolition that was dumped at a National Park Service golf course has tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals. In Trump vs The Pope news, Trump accused Pope Leo of supporting Iran getting a nuclear weapon, the Pope responded that he isn't afraid and will keep advocating for peace, and Rubio flew to Rome to meet with him anyway. Back home, the FBI raided the office of Virginia Democratic state senator Louise Lucas, who led the redistricting effort that netted Democrats four new congressional seats, though the investigation's subject remains undisclosed. In tech news, Anthropic and SpaceX announced a partnership giving Anthropic access to SpaceX computing power for Claude Pro and Max, and Kevin O'Leary's Manhattan-sized Utah data center got approved despite furious local protests he dismissed as fake and possibly AI-generated. And finally, RFK Jr. withdrew an FDA rule that would have banned minors from indoor tanning beds — which the WHO classifies as a Group 1 carcinogen on par with cigarettes and asbestos — because apparently that was next on the list. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Jeffrey Epstein’s Purported Suicide Note Is Released by Federal Judge NBC News: Howard Lutnick evasive during Epstein testimony, House Democrats say The Atlanic: Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash NBC News: Republicans propose $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to secure Trump ballroom WaPo: White House East Wing debris dumped at nearby golf course has toxic metals, report says NYT: Rubio to Visit Rome After Trump’s Feud With the Pope and Meloni Politico: FBI raids office of Dem state lawmaker in Virginia who led redistricting efforts NBC News: Anthropic and SpaceX announce major partnership as AI arms races continues Gizmodo: Kevin O'Leary's Massive Data Center Project in Utah Gets the Greenlight, Locals Are Furious LA Times: RFK Jr. clears path for minors' use of tanning beds, much to the dismay of dermatologists Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 - Trump Rants And Snoozes, DOJ Staffing Issues, ICE Detention Abuse, AI Regulation, Polymarket's Fake Panama HQ

    Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 - Trump Rants And Snoozes, DOJ Staffing Issues, ICE Detention Abuse, AI Regulation, Polymarket's Fake Panama HQ
    May 6 2026
    Today's Headlines: Trump hosted kids at the White House for a Presidential Fitness Award ceremony, fell asleep while RFK Jr. spoke, and used the occasion to rant about Iran to a room full of children — meanwhile, Pete Hegseth was simultaneously insisting the ceasefire was still intact while missiles were actively flying over the Strait of Hormuz, and Marco Rubio filled in at the press briefing to tout US humanitarian aid for Cuba, a country we are currently blockading. In other news, over a quarter of DOJ attorneys — roughly 3,400 lawyers with an average tenure of over 13 years — have walked out or been fired since Trump took office, ICE's own internal records confirm a 37% spike in use of force against detainees across 98 facilities, and a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that ICE enforcement is actually hurting US-born workers in construction and similar sectors, with no wage increases to show for it. In creepy Congress members news, Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards is under investigation for alleged misconduct toward two female staffers in their 20s, including gifts, a handwritten love letter, and a Las Vegas vacation he took during a government shutdown he almost missed voting to end — his office also had a 59% staff turnover rate in 2025, more than double the House average. In tech and media news, the White House is planning an executive order on AI oversight involving Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI before models are released to the public, Pennsylvania sued Character.AI for having its chatbot impersonate a licensed psychiatrist complete with a fake license number, and James Murdoch is reportedly in talks to acquire Vox Media, which owns New York Magazine, The Verge, and Eater, potentially outbidding the competing offer from former NBC spinoff Versant. And finally, NPR went to Panama looking for Polymarket's corporate headquarters and found an essentially empty office where nobody had ever heard of the $15 billion prediction market platform — which also happens to share a law firm with FTX, so that's extremely reassuring. Resources/Articles mentioned: The New Republic: Trump, 79, Falls Asleep After Bragging to Kids About Iran War Plans Common Dreams: Hegseth Brags About Attacks on Iranian Ships in Strait of Hormuz While Claiming Ceasefire Holds The Hill: Marco Rubio gets presidential tryout in White House briefing room Axios: Scoop: Rep. Chuck Edwards singled out young female aides for special attention Financial Times: US Department of Justice loses a quarter of its lawyers WaPo: Internal ICE records reveal widespread use of force in detention centers Axios: ICE activity hurts some U.S.-born workers, study finds Axios: SEC proposes rule to allow public companies to report twice a year NYT: White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released Reuters: Pennsylvania sues Character AI, says chatbot poses as doctors NYT: James Murdoch’s Company Said to Be in Talks to Acquire Major Parts of Vox Media NPR: NPR went looking for Polymarket's Panama headquarters. It's elusive Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins